Watch the replay again, a Mizzou player got his hand on it. Not Culby's fault. Probably not the most intelligent thing to rip on the most accurate kicker in ISU history. The more important question is why was he even kicking in the first place? Give the ball to Koch and you don't have to worry about it.
So wait...just because a kicker is accurate he gets to be free of criticism? Tell that one to a Colt fan, because under that logic Vanderjagt, at that time the most accurate kicker in NFL history, should still be beloved in Indy instead of being a goat in Dallas.
I haven't had the luxury of seeing a replay of the game, so I'll take your word for it that a Mizzou player got his hand on it. All I know is that from my vantage point (which was on the other end of the field), I thought it was a clean kick, he just pushed it. I guess I was wrong. And you are right, we probably shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place.
I just remember that after Daniels got in the end zone (but before I saw the flag) the second thought through my head, right behind a string of words that would make Baby Jesus cry, was "that's three years in a row that a missed Culbertson FG has been the difference in the final game of the season"
I guess for me, when it comes down to a kicker, the only thing I care about is how he performs in the clutch, not his accuracy. The only thing you remember a kicker for is the big one. Just ask Scott Norwood. Bret Culbertson is a good kicker, but until he proves he can hit one when it matters, people are going to rip on him. If you compare them side by side, Bret Culbertson (28/37, 0.757) is a much more accurate kicker than Dusty Mangum (50/73, 0.684), but I'd rather have Mangum on my team for the same reason why he's a legend at Texas, he hit the one that mattered.